Bears Acquire Joe Thuney

[dplank]

I’m not criticizing it, I’m happy with it. It’s just an observation if that’s alright with you

[Bearfacts]

I’m not criticizing it, I’m happy with it. It’s just an observation if that’s alright with you

LOL....oh you didn't want to debate over semantics with Rich but with me you will? Thank you very little.

How 'bout changing the observation tower view to one looking at the future then?

[HisRoyalSweetness]

[Bearfacts]

Glad you posted this because I just posted in another thread about this.

While we assume the Bears will want to extend Thuney we don't know if that's assured or that Thuney will accept an offer of an extension vs hitting FA. Until he we offer an extension and he accepts it we have to count him as a one year rental. It would be smart for the Bears to get this done prior to the draft but what if they don't for whatever reason?

It creates yet another reason for why they may consider drafting Campbell as a hedge against not being able to retain Thuney. So there's not one but two possible scenarios for him. 1) you draft him to compete at LT, and 2) you draft him to replace Thuney in the event he can't be extended. In either case Campbell doesn't have to start at either spot day one so all through camp and preseason he can be evaluated at LT.

I would think that by Sept we'd know whether or not Thuney will be extended. If so Campbell continues to compete for the LT spot. If not and it looks as though Thuney may not be extended then we already have his replacement on the roster and under a rookie contract. This isn't to say what we should do or will do it's just one more scenario for Poles and Co to consider.

It's not altogether different than what we were facing with Keenan Allen last year when we went ahead and drafted Odunze despite having traded for Allen. It's just solid three dimensional thinking to see it this way.

[wab]

It's not altogether different than what we were facing with Keenan Allen last year when we went ahead and drafted Odunze despite having traded for Allen. It's just solid three dimensional thinking to see it this way.

The biggest difference is that 3 WR are often on the field at the same time, whereas two left guards are ... not.

[Shadow]

It's not altogether different than what we were facing with Keenan Allen last year when we went ahead and drafted Odunze despite having traded for Allen. It's just solid three dimensional thinking to see it this way.

The biggest difference is that 3 WR are often on the field at the same time, whereas two left guards are ... not.

Though in Detroit Ben Johnson did run 2 LTs at the same time....other times 2 RTs. He likes his 3 Tackle set trick plays. Maybe he runs a 2 LG set with Braxton declaring as a receiving target.

[HurricaneBear]

I don't think Thuney will get talked to after an extension until after the draft plays out unless they need extra space to make a roster move.

[Bearfacts]

It's not altogether different than what we were facing with Keenan Allen last year when we went ahead and drafted Odunze despite having traded for Allen. It's just solid three dimensional thinking to see it this way.

The biggest difference is that 3 WR are often on the field at the same time, whereas two left guards are ... not.

For starters right now we're not assured of having Thuney for more than one year. If we don't offer an extension or he declines one he's a FA in 2026. So that's at least a consideration. We also don't know how the Bears view Braxton Jones beyond 2025. He also becomes a FA in 2026 if not extended and it won't be cheap. We're probably talking around $20 mil AAV give or take a mil. Is he our longer term guy at LT?

IF Campbell is on the board at #10 he's arguably a player who could play either position depending on need. If drafted I believe they will give him a shot at LT during camp and preseason. Since both positions are covered now and he doesn't necessarily need to start and can be prepared for both spots pending the outcome of any decision regarding extensions for both players. At worst he's a viable backup for both.

The topic of an extension for Kyler Gordon keeps coming up but seldom is Braxton Jones mentioned as well and now Thuney. I'd like to think Poles and Co are doing a little thinking ahead here.

[dplank]

I'm still on Campbell or Graham at 10 if either is there. What FA has changed for me is it has opened up my thinking on Jeanty, which was a hard no for me before. I could see one of the other highly rated DL at 10 also. I'm not sure a trade down will be available to us, but certainly an option if it is. I do want to add another OL to the mix with one of our top 4 picks, another DL also, and a RB. Then the 4th pick can be anywhere but I'm looking at S and LB for succession planning. WR can wait until later rounds as can TE IMO.

[Arkansasbear]

I'm still on Campbell or Graham at 10 if either is there. What FA has changed for me is it has opened up my thinking on Jeanty, which was a hard no for me before. I could see one of the other highly rated DL at 10 also. I'm not sure a trade down will be available to us, but certainly an option if it is. I do want to add another OL to the mix with one of our top 4 picks, another DL also, and a RB. Then the 4th pick can be anywhere but I'm looking at S and LB for succession planning. WR can wait until later rounds as can TE IMO.

You got me back on the Campbell train I started on, but with the interior locked up my concerns about him being able to stay at LT kind of take him off the board at 10. If they draft him and say he is going to be the LT, I'll role with it, but I can't get there on my own.

[wab]

I'm out on trying to find a LT in this draft. If they want to try Campbell there, then I won't complain about it, but there are other prospects that aren't as much of a guess...and I'm over the team guessing with high draft picks.

I firmly believe it will be either Jeanty or a defensive player.

If it isn't Jeanty, I believe it will come down to one of the following guys:
Jaylon Walker
Kenneth Grant
Mykel Williams
Will Johnson

[Bearfacts]

After hearing Greg Gabriel's comment about an extension for Thuney I'm convinced it will happen. Thuney appears to be quite happy he was traded to Chicago so he should be amenable to an extension with some added guaranteed $$$ and we'd be foolish not to get him extended.

That brings me back to Campbell and whether the Bears have him on their board as a LT or strictly as a LG. His arm length is well below what Poles prefers but what about Johnson and Roushar? Of the two top alternatives Simmons arm length is just 33" so maybe a 1/4" more. Is he still rehabbing his knee? Will he be ready for camp?

Banks measure 33 1/2" but quite a few teams have him marked down as an OG. How do the Bears seen him? And how do they see Amegadjie right now? Do they have enough belief in his ascension that we can go into 2025 with just Jones and him as our LT? There's also a decision to be made regarding an extension for Jones.

My intuition tells me that given the $$$ Poles just put into the IOL and with Wright due an extension next year it's hard to see him spending $20 mil AAV on an extension for Jones if he can draft a rookie LT and do a reset of that contract. Having already drafted Amegadjie may also make that decision easier to make.

We can also consider that with a win now OS in place what are our chances of having another top ten pick in the near future and a shot at a top rookie LT? Maybe we're at a point where having filled nearly all of the starting slots we need to be thinking a year ahead since a rookie LT won't need to be a day one starter.

Three players would be competing at LT throughout camp and preseason. By then we should have a pretty good idea of where to rank them and we need one to be the swing OT anyway so I don't see it as a waste even if Jones still starts. If not he can be traded before deadline if it's unlikely he'd accept a lower extension offer.

[G08]

I'm out on trying to find a LT in this draft. If they want to try Campbell there, then I won't complain about it, but there are other prospects that aren't as much of a guess...and I'm over the team guessing with high draft picks.

I firmly believe it will be either Jeanty or a defensive player.

If it isn't Jeanty, I believe it will come down to one of the following guys:
Jaylon Walker
Kenneth Grant
Mykel Williams
Will Johnson

Reading and hearing a lot of Jeanty smoke today and I don't like it

[Bearfacts]

I'm out on trying to find a LT in this draft. If they want to try Campbell there, then I won't complain about it, but there are other prospects that aren't as much of a guess...and I'm over the team guessing with high draft picks.

I firmly believe it will be either Jeanty or a defensive player.

If it isn't Jeanty, I believe it will come down to one of the following guys:
Jaylon Walker
Kenneth Grant
Mykel Williams
Will Johnson

Reading and hearing a lot of Jeanty smoke today and I don't like it

You're gonna hear a lot of that all the way up to the draft just like you did with CW last year. Some believe he's a generational RB and others don't. But you can bet your bippy that with some much indecision about where he my go his agents are doing all they can to pump him up in the media. And Poles isn't gonna tip his hand either.

[thunderspirit]

I'm out on trying to find a LT in this draft. If they want to try Campbell there, then I won't complain about it, but there are other prospects that aren't as much of a guess...and I'm over the team guessing with high draft picks.

I firmly believe it will be either Jeanty or a defensive player.

If it isn't Jeanty, I believe it will come down to one of the following guys:
Jaylon Walker
Kenneth Grant
Mykel Williams
Will Johnson

Yeah, I think the chance of the Bears drafting a tackle at all in remote. They drafted one last year (whatever your feelings on Amegadjie) and still have Braxton for one more rookie-year contract.

Plus there aren't a whole lot of prospects this year who fit the physical profile Poles has sought: you've got Cameron Williams (Texas) and Emery Jones Jr (LSU) who come close, maybe Jalen Travis (Iowa St via Princeton), and perhaps they think Jonah Savaiinaea (Arizona) can stick outside in the NFL, but other than that there isn't much beyond lottery tickets in the form of late Day 3 flyers and UDFAs/camp invites.

[G08]

I'm out on trying to find a LT in this draft. If they want to try Campbell there, then I won't complain about it, but there are other prospects that aren't as much of a guess...and I'm over the team guessing with high draft picks.

I firmly believe it will be either Jeanty or a defensive player.

If it isn't Jeanty, I believe it will come down to one of the following guys:
Jaylon Walker
Kenneth Grant
Mykel Williams
Will Johnson

Yeah, I think the chance of the Bears drafting a tackle at all in remote. They drafted one last year (whatever your feelings on Amegadjie) and still have Braxton for one more rookie-year contract.

Plus there aren't a whole lot of prospects this year who fit the physical profile Poles has sought: you've got Cameron Williams (Texas) and Emery Jones Jr (LSU) who come close, maybe Jalen Travis (Iowa St via Princeton), and perhaps they think Jonah Savaiinaea (Arizona) can stick outside in the NFL, but other than that there isn't much beyond lottery tickets in the form of late Day 3 flyers and UDFAs/camp invites.

I like Aireontae Ersery quite a bit if he's there at #39...

[Moriarty]

After hearing Greg Gabriel's comment about an extension for Thuney I'm convinced it will happen. Thuney appears to be quite happy he was traded to Chicago so he should be amenable to an extension with some added guaranteed $$$ and we'd be foolish not to get him extended.

That brings me back to Campbell and whether the Bears have him on their board as a LT or strictly as a LG. His arm length is well below what Poles prefers but what about Johnson and Roushar? Of the two top alternatives Simmons arm length is just 33" so maybe a 1/4" more. Is he still rehabbing his knee? Will he be ready for camp?

If you get the Thuney extension, forget Campbell (and probably Simmons, too).

There'd be no interior jobs available for at least 2, maybe 3 years. And you can't take guys that aren't built for T when you have no Plan B ability to move them inside.

[Bearfacts]

After hearing Greg Gabriel's comment about an extension for Thuney I'm convinced it will happen. Thuney appears to be quite happy he was traded to Chicago so he should be amenable to an extension with some added guaranteed $$$ and we'd be foolish not to get him extended.

That brings me back to Campbell and whether the Bears have him on their board as a LT or strictly as a LG. His arm length is well below what Poles prefers but what about Johnson and Roushar? Of the two top alternatives Simmons arm length is just 33" so maybe a 1/4" more. Is he still rehabbing his knee? Will he be ready for camp?

If you get the Thuney extension, forget Campbell (and probably Simmons, too).

There'd be no interior jobs available for at least 2, maybe 3 years. And you can't take guys that aren't built for T when you have no Plan B ability to move them inside.

That more or less depends on how the Bears see the various LT prospects. Did Kelvin Banks whose arms are 33 1/2" present better as a LT than Will Campbell and his sub 33" arms? Is Justin Simmons whose 33" arms put him right on the borderline a better prospect than the others if fully recovered from his knee injury?

I don't have those answers but the Bears have to be discussing them among themselves. I'm on the side of those who believe Campbell can play LT and are willing to try him there and allow him to prove it. Whether or not the Bears are in on that I don't know and neither do you or any of the rest of us.

Poles prefers LT who are taller and have longer arms. We have two of those now so maybe we stick with them. But Poles isn't the only one whose drafting for the offense any longer. He'll have input from Johnson and Roushar and that will count for a lot. I'm not making predictions just analyzing possibilities.

[Arkansasbear]

I'm out on trying to find a LT in this draft. If they want to try Campbell there, then I won't complain about it, but there are other prospects that aren't as much of a guess...and I'm over the team guessing with high draft picks.

I firmly believe it will be either Jeanty or a defensive player.

If it isn't Jeanty, I believe it will come down to one of the following guys:
Jaylon Walker
Kenneth Grant
Mykel Williams
Will Johnson

Yeah, I think the chance of the Bears drafting a tackle at all in remote. They drafted one last year (whatever your feelings on Amegadjie) and still have Braxton for one more rookie-year contract.

Plus there aren't a whole lot of prospects this year who fit the physical profile Poles has sought: you've got Cameron Williams (Texas) and Emery Jones Jr (LSU) who come close, maybe Jalen Travis (Iowa St via Princeton), and perhaps they think Jonah Savaiinaea (Arizona) can stick outside in the NFL, but other than that there isn't much beyond lottery tickets in the form of late Day 3 flyers and UDFAs/camp invites.

Knowing what I know if I was in charge of the draft, I don't think I'd draft one. Have to hit on a guy that can play LT. I just don't have a good feeling about any of them such that I'd draft one at 10. There a couple of guys that might make me look in the second, but most of them appear to be RT. But if they think Campbell can play LT, I think he's in play if he is on the board. Just don't know how they view him.

If we make some trades and pick up some late round picks, I read about the kid from U Conn today that could be this years Braxton Jones, so maybe that could happen.

[wab]

I'm sticking to my guns in saying that I'll be very surprised if they draft a pure OT prospect this year. I like Caleb Rogers on day 2, but he's probably an interior player that can play OT in a pinch.

Poles and Co do a pretty good job at looking ahead at drafts too, and next year there are probably 5 solid R1 tackles (not tackles who are probably guards that you hope can play tackle).

Plus...the team has openly talked about the possibility of moving Wright to LT as an option. It's not out of the question that Wright could move to LT and KA could slot in at RT if they decided to move on from Jones. (Whether you think this is wise is a separate conversation).

[Arkansasbear]

I'm sticking to my guns in saying that I'll be very surprised if they draft a pure OT prospect this year. I like Caleb Rogers on day 2, but he's probably an interior player that can play OT in a pinch.

Poles and Co do a pretty good job at looking ahead at drafts too, and next year there are probably 5 solid R1 tackles (not tackles who are probably guards that you hope can play tackle).

Plus...the team has openly talked about the possibility of moving Wright to LT as an option. It's not out of the question that Wright could move to LT and KA could slot in at RT if they decided to move on from Jones. (Whether you think this is wise is a separate conversation).

Good point about next year's draft. Of those 5 how many do you think can hold down LT?

[wab]

I'm sticking to my guns in saying that I'll be very surprised if they draft a pure OT prospect this year. I like Caleb Rogers on day 2, but he's probably an interior player that can play OT in a pinch.

Poles and Co do a pretty good job at looking ahead at drafts too, and next year there are probably 5 solid R1 tackles (not tackles who are probably guards that you hope can play tackle).

Plus...the team has openly talked about the possibility of moving Wright to LT as an option. It's not out of the question that Wright could move to LT and KA could slot in at RT if they decided to move on from Jones. (Whether you think this is wise is a separate conversation).

Good point about next year's draft. Of those 5 how many do you think can hold down LT?

I think most of the potential R1 guys can. It's obviously early, but right now I see the following guys as top 40 prospects who can play LT.

Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
Francis Mauigoa, Miami
Earnest Greene, Georgia
Elijah Pritchett, Nebraska
Blake Miller, Clemson
Tosh Baker, Notre Dame

Pritchett fits the LT profile that Poles seems to focus on the most, and he happens to be an early favorite of mine in general. Mauigoa and Miller have primarily played on the right side, but they both have skills that translate to LT.

Fernando Carmona is another potential top 40 guy, but teams are going to have to decide if he's a turd of a human first.

[cblaz11]

Don’t sleep on Ozzy Trapilo as a LT prospect after the 2nd.

[Bearfacts]

I'm sticking to my guns in saying that I'll be very surprised if they draft a pure OT prospect this year. I like Caleb Rogers on day 2, but he's probably an interior player that can play OT in a pinch.

Poles and Co do a pretty good job at looking ahead at drafts too, and next year there are probably 5 solid R1 tackles (not tackles who are probably guards that you hope can play tackle).

Plus...the team has openly talked about the possibility of moving Wright to LT as an option. It's not out of the question that Wright could move to LT and KA could slot in at RT if they decided to move on from Jones. (Whether you think this is wise is a separate conversation).

Good point about next year's draft. Of those 5 how many do you think can hold down LT?

That's the $10 mil question and then if we end up with a pick at #20 or above what are the chances of getting one of the best? Theoretically they could wait until next March before extending Jones to see if they had a shot at replacing him or if they believed they had a solution in house but IMHO it should be Amegadjie not Wright.

My intuition tells me they still aren't pleased enough with Jones to extend him but if playing next to Thuney that changes maybe they do. But extensions for both Jones and Wright back to back along with the costs of the IOL are gonna get pricey. Having a LT on a rookie deal for another 4 years solves that problem to a degree.

[wab]

Good point about next year's draft. Of those 5 how many do you think can hold down LT?

That's the $10 mil question and then if we end up with a pick at #20 or above what are the chances of getting one of the best? Theoretically they could wait until next March before extending Jones to see if they had a shot at replacing him or if they believed they had a solution in house but IMHO it should be Amegadjie not Wright.

My intuition tells me they still aren't pleased enough with Jones to extend him but if playing next to Thuney that changes maybe they do. But extensions for both Jones and Wright back to back along with the costs of the IOL are gonna get pricey. Having a LT on a rookie deal for another 4 years solves that problem to a degree.

Only if that LT is actually an LT and plays. Otherwise you wast up to two years of that rookie deal.

[Bearfacts]

That's the $10 mil question and then if we end up with a pick at #20 or above what are the chances of getting one of the best? Theoretically they could wait until next March before extending Jones to see if they had a shot at replacing him or if they believed they had a solution in house but IMHO it should be Amegadjie not Wright.

My intuition tells me they still aren't pleased enough with Jones to extend him but if playing next to Thuney that changes maybe they do. But extensions for both Jones and Wright back to back along with the costs of the IOL are gonna get pricey. Having a LT on a rookie deal for another 4 years solves that problem to a degree.

Only if that LT is actually an LT and plays. Otherwise you wast up to two years of that rookie deal.

That would be the whole point wouldn't it? And going even farther they would have to be pretty certain that draftee would be better than either Braxton Jones and Kiran Amegadjie or why draft him at all? We're in a position where he would not necessarily have to play day one but you'd want him starting at some point in year one.

None of us can make that call. Jones is a middle of the road LT. Even after three years as a starter he still has some holes in his game. If in their opinion he's topped out it's tough to see them wanting to pay big money to extend him vs giving someone less costly a shot. That either Amegadjie or a rookie draftee.

[Heinz D.]

Don’t sleep on Ozzy Trapilo as a LT prospect after the 2nd.

Oh! Tell me more! Should I do a dive?